CHAPTER 98 - STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES RELATING TO DEPENDENT AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN

AN ACT RELATING TO DEPENDENT AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN OF THE STATE' OF DELAWARE, DEFINING THE WORDS "DEPENDENT" AND "NEGLECTED" IN THEIR RELATION THEREOF; AND MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES FOR THE SUPERVISION, CARE, CUSTODY, BOARD AND PLACEMENT THEREOF.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:

Section 1. That for the purposes of this Act the words "dependent child" shall mean a child under eighteen years of age who is homeless or destitute or without proper support or care through no fault of his or her parent, guardian or custodian; or who lacks proper care by reason of the mental or physical condition of the parent, guardian or custodian.

The words "neglected child" shall mean a child under eighteen years of age who is abandoned by his or her parent, guardian or custodian, or who lacks proper parental care by reason of the fault or habits of said parent, guardian or custodian; or whose parent, guardian or custodian neglects or refuses to provide proper or necessary subsistence, education, medical or surgical care or other care necessary for his health, morals or well-being; or whose parent, guardian, or custodian neglects or refuses to provide the special care made necessary by his or her mental condition; or who is found in a disreputable place, or who associates with vagrant, vicious or immoral persons, or who engages in an occupation dangerous to life or limb, or forbidden by the law of this State, or injurious to the health or morals of himself or herself or others.

Section 2. All dependent or neglected children as defined in this Act, shall be considered for the purposes of this Act, wards of the State and in need of care and protection, and the State Board of Charities by and through its child welfare department, whether it be a division of Child Welfare, or otherwise, created in accordance with the powers already vested in the State Board of Charities under the provisions of Chapter 41 of the Revised Code of Delaware, 1935, shall exercise such duties as shall be necessary, proper and expedient for the supervision, care, custody, board and placement of said dependent and neglected children.

Section 3. The State Board of Charities is hereby authorized and empowered to utilize services of other child welfare agencies and to allocate and turn over unto said agencies operating within the State of Delaware and rendering child welfare services, any portion of funds appropriated for the purposes of this Act and as may from time to time be deemed necessary, proper and expedient for the supervision, care, custody, board and placement of dependent and neglected children.

Section 4. That for the purpose of properly carrying into effect the provisions of this Act, there is hereby appropriated unto the State Board of Charities the sum of $70,050 for the year beginning July 1, 1937 and ending June 30, 1938 and there is hereby further appropriated the sum of $61,850 for the year beginning July 1, 1938 and ending June 30, 1939.

Of the amount appropriated for the year beginning July 1, 1937 and ending June 30, 1938, namely a total of $70,050, the State Board of Charities is hereby given authority to allocate to the Children's Bureau not more than $30,000; to the Delaware Children's Home Society not more than $6,500; and to the St. Michael's Home for Babies and Day Nurseries, not more than $10,000; and of the amount appropriated for the year beginning July 1, 1938, and ending June 30, 1939, namely $61,850, the State Board of Charities is hereby given authority to allocate to the St. Michael's Home for Babies and Day Nurseries not more than $10,000; and to the Delaware Children's Home Society not more than $3,500; it being the purpose of this section that the appropriation herein provided for may be distributed to the various agencies in a flexible manner and in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Section 5. The State Treasurer is hereby directed to pay the amounts appropriated in this Act on warrants of the State Board of Charities, executed by its proper officers.

Section 6. This Act shall be deemed to be a supplementary appropriation act, and the money hereby appropriated shall be paid out of the General Fund of the State Treasury not otherwise appropriated.